(1) (a) Each person who is a member of a retirement system and who becomes a member of another retirement system shall receive credit under each such retirement system for credited service under the other retirement system for the purpose of satisfying any requirement for such person to complete certain periods of service to become eligible to receive a retirement benefit or disability benefit or for such person’s beneficiaries to receive a death benefit. The retirement benefit which a person becomes eligible to receive under a retirement system shall be based only on credited service under such retirement system, except that the determination of final average salary under such retirement system shall include the compensation received as a member of each other retirement system if such compensation is higher. Except as provided in subsection (1)(b), such retirement benefit shall become payable upon the member submitting an application to retire under each system, except that a member who is not eligible to retire under the retirement system to which such member is not currently making contributions because such member does not meet the age requirements of the earliest retirement date of such system may retire, upon meeting the requirements for retirement, under the provisions of the retirement system which the member had been most recently making contributions. No further rights and benefits will accrue under the retirement system to which the member is not currently making contributions after the date the member retires from the system from which the member had been most recently making contributions and the member will be retired and benefits shall commence on the date that the member would first have attained retirement age from the system to which the member is not currently making contributions. If the member does not meet the age requirements of the earliest retirement date under the retirement system to which such member is not currently making contributions but used credited service under such system for the purpose of satisfying any requirement for such person to complete certain periods of service to become eligible to receive a retirement benefit from the member’s current system, the member’s account under the system to which such member is not currently making contributions shall be withdrawn the month immediately following the member’s retirement in a form and manner as determined by the board. Members who are covered under the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-49,201 et seq., and amendments thereto, may use service from any system under the Kansas public employees retirement system, Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-4901 et seq., and amendments thereto, to attain a vested benefit pursuant to the provisions of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-49,201 et seq., and amendments thereto.

(b) The requirement that a member shall submit an application to retire under each system before becoming eligible to receive any retirement system benefits shall not apply to any member who was active and contributing to one retirement system and who was inactive in another retirement system on July 1, 1995.

(2) Any member who is not otherwise eligible for service credit as provided for in subsection (1)(a) of Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 74-4913 or subsection (1)(a) of Kan. Stat. Ann. § 74-4936, and amendments thereto, may be granted credit for the service upon the attainment of 38 quarters of participating service in any retirement system as defined in subsection (3)(b) or upon retirement.

(3) As used in this section:

(a) “Member” means a person who has attained membership in a retirement system, who has not retired under such retirement system and who has not withdrawn such person’s accumulated contributions for such retirement system; and

(b) “retirement system” means the Kansas public employees retirement system, the Kansas police and firemen’s retirement system and the retirement system for judges.